video games that
make a difference

We turn complex topics into play.
Society, education, culture, sustainability: we develop games and interactive experiences that convey content in a way people don’t just understand, but truly experience.

Serious Games

Digital and analog games, interactive applications, and gamification solutions designed to achieve a specific impact. From the initial idea to the finished product: for education, culture, science, and businesses.

Original Games

We live and breathe video games. Our original titles prove that we understand the medium inside out: from core loop to narrative arc. That firsthand experience and passion for the medium makes us better partners for your project.

Consulting

Hitting the right note with games requires experience and expertise. We’re happy to share our knowledge and support organizations in harnessing the potential of games and gamification to achieve their goals.

How we work

We bring our full expertise to every project and follow clear, validated processes to create work that truly achieves its intended impact.

Phase 1

Understand

Every project begins with listening. We get to know the target audience, understand the context, and use established workshop formats to define together what the game is meant to achieve.

Phase 2

Design & Validate

We develop prototypes and test them directly with the target audience. Co-design, playtesting, adapting, repeating, until we have a concept that will achieve the project’s goals.

Phase 3

Develop

Once the concept and mechanics are validated, we move into production. With clear milestones, realistic planning, and extensive playtesting and involvement of the target audience.

Phase 4

Support

We consider longevity, maintenance, updates, and ongoing development from the very beginning. Because the project should continue to succeed long after launch.

Recent projects

Start page of the Anti-Dis-Quiz: “The interactive quiz against discrimination” in basketball, with a play button

Anti-Dis-Quiz

ten2match

Key art of Broken Tide: a fishing boat on cracked floating sea tiles next to a lighthouse, with the game title

Broken Tide

Off The Record

Our monthly newsletter with insights into what we are working on, what we learn along the way, and what is worth playing.

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What our partners say

OTBT is an outstanding company specializing in the development and design of video games. We wholeheartedly recommend OTBT as a reliable partner for the development and design of video games and look forward to further collaborative projects with them.

– Dr. Katharina Pittrich, Hogrefe Innovation Lab

In the first year after release, the number of registrations doubled. The fact that OTBT placed the preferences and feedback of the teenage target group at the center of the design process is paying off.

– Florian Bender & Benjamin Hillmann, Bildung & Begabung und Stiftung Digitale Spielekultur

Our collaboration with OTBT was professional and uncomplicated. The team implemented our wishes very competently, creatively and reliably. Overall: A great collaboration and very professional implementation of the game. Thanks a lot for this!

– Team of musiculum Kiel

Working with Jens and his team is a lot of fun. Their uncomplicated, helpful and flexible style made it easy for us to let more commissions follow the first one – expecially since the result is always great!

– Hendrik Peeters, Tivola Games

Highlight: The CEO who thinks ahead and not just along.
Learning: OTBT finds a solution even when I don’t know what to do!
Specialty: The team at OTBT combines a wide range of disciplines and thereby shows the way into the future.

– Meike Christiansen, TRUSTease

Awards

TRUSTease wins the Schleswig-Holstein Digitalisation Award 2022
Off The Beaten Track awarded Kultur- und Kreativpilot*innen Germany 2022
Off The Beaten Track wins Startup category at GründerCup KielRegion 2019
Award laurel: Liz Fodor, nomination for Best Overall Performance (Movie or Game Trailer) at the One Voice Conference
Award laurel: Off The Beaten Track nominated twice for the TOMMI Children's Software Award (App and Education)
Off The Beaten Track receives Innovation and Excellence Award 2022 at Corporate LiveWire Awards
Off The Beaten Track wins Best of Show at Hamburg Games Conference

Thoughts from our blog

Concept art for the Hannoverscher Bahnhof game: character sketches, a vintage computer and painted old train carriages

Off The Record #1: In Motion

We’ve wanted to start a DevLog for quite a while now. After all, there is so much going on here…

Bingo card squares show indie game studio risks including unclear USP, excessive backstory, solo development and perfectionism

Indie Game Studio Risks Bingo Game

Starting and running an indie game studio is no easy feat. Over the years, we have made our own share…

Scene from the serious game Ludwig: the red robot Ludwig in a sunny landscape with wind turbines and futuristic towers.

Prognosis for the future of Serious Games

Serious games—games designed for educational, training, or health purposes—have become a vital part of digital learning and development. But how…

We are Off The Beaten Track

Since 2018, we have been developing games from Kiel that make an impact. We are backed by a strong network of specialists and freelancers ready to join a project if needed. We develop games that achieve their purpose. Games that take a different path – off the beaten track.

Jens smiling in a portrait against a brick wall, wearing a black jacket and blue shirt

Jens

(he/him)

Lead & Design

Black-and-white portrait of Luisa smiling with her hands resting on her cheeks.

Luisa

(she/her)

Art

Portrait of Nora, a smiling woman with long brown hair wearing a black top.

Nora

(she/her)

Production

Marc smiling at the camera, wearing a black T-shirt.

Marc

(he/him)

Programming

Black and white portrait of Markus

Markus

(he/him)

Historian